Lawmakers in Washington late last week passed a bill through the House that would see marijuana declassified at the federal level.
“The criminalization of marijuana is inherently racist in its enforcement, unscientific in its foundation, and out of step with public opinion and the law in 18 states,” U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark said in a release after the bill’s passage.
Called the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE) Act, the proposed law would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, require federal courts to expunge prior marijuana convictions, open small business administration funding to pot businesses and authorize a 5% federal tax on marijuana sales.
